"Freed the slaves" somehow absent the list
Republicans didn't do that. France and England did. Had France and England not already have abolished slavery, they would have entered the war on the side of the South without hesitation.
They were still considering aiding the south anyway because they were desperate for cotton.
The only reason the emancipation proclamation was written was to prevent England and France from entering the war on the side of the rebellion.
Lincoln knew that there was no way, once he abolished slavery, that either power could side with the south and betray their own doctrine.
So you can thank the GOP'S fear of European power for freeing the slaves. It had nothing to do with the GOP doing anything good or just.